TRENTON – The professional fate of Superior Court Judge Melanie D. Appleby soon could be in the hands of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Appleby, who also is a former Toms River councilwoman, is accused of enlisting a Toms River attorney who was representing clients in her Ocean County courtroom for counsel in a personal matter. That alone would represent a potential conflict of interest, but the complaint against Appleby also alleges that her clandestine attorney took steps to cover up their professional relationship.

On Thursday, Appleby’s case was before the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, which consists of retired Supreme Court justices, judges and members of the state bar association, for a formal hearing. A spokeswoman for the court said witnesses and exhibits were presented and the committee would take the evidence and deliberate before reaching a decision. There is no set timetable for a resolution, she added.

New Jersey court rules state the outcome can be dismissal of the charge, private reprimand or admonition or caution by the committee, or a recommendation from the committee to the Supreme Court to publicly reprimand, censure, suspend, or remove Appleby from the bench.

Appleby, who is assigned to family court, received assistance from attorney Frank A. Louis of Toms River, who at the time was representing other clients before Appleby in her official capacity as a judge. Louis had made clear to Appleby, 50, from the outset that he did not want his involvement in her own child-support dispute to result in her recusing herself from active cases where Louis had business before her court, according to the complaint.

Earlier this month, Appleby admitted in a court filing that she created a conflict of interest by communicating with Louis about her personal legal matter and then accepting legal assistance from him.

Biel agreed to send out a basic letter of representation on behalf of Appleby and authorized his paralegal to send Louis stationery from the Northfield firm. Louis received the stationery but never followed through with what Biel said was agreed upon. Nevertheless, he went ahead and used the stationery. The letter was signed, “Mark Biel,” though Biel had never signed it, according to the complaint.

When the lawyer for Appleby’s ex-husband reached out to Biel to discuss the child support issue, Biel said he had no idea what the attorney was talking about.